Receptacle closure



July 3, 1928.

4 H. 0LT

RECEPTACLE CLOSURE Filed July 12, 1927 lnventar HENRY 0LT. zcaw,

Attorneys Patented July 3, 1928.

UNITED STATES HENRY 0LT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

. ancnrracnn CLOSURE.

Application filed July 12, 1927 Serial No. 205,070.

This invention relates to receptacle closures, and particularly to the so-called bottlecap class of such devices.

The following is a description of a receptacle closure embodying the invention in the form at present preferred; but it will be understood that various modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and without exceeding the scope of the claims.

Receptacle closures of this type have heretofore been provided with gaskets formed of various materials, such as natural and cork composition, metals, etc. It is customary to so highly charge many bottled beverages as to produce, within the container, a pressure of several atmospheres. Experience has shown that inherently compressible materials, such as cork, soon lose their resilience under these high-pressure conditions, the gas escapes around the gasket, and the beverage becomes flat and unpalatable. Moreover, a slight chemical action apparently occurs between cork and certain beverages, as a result of which the cork imparts an unpleasant taste to the contents of the bottle.

Inequalities in the surface of the glass wall which defines thebottle month are apparently unavoidable. A thin, fiat metallic gasket is quite likely, under the high-pressure conditions described, to buckle away from the more or less uneven surface of the bottle wall, permitting the escape of gas from the container and thereby spoiling the beverage.

One of the objects ofthe present invention is to avoid the aforesaid objectionable fea-' tures incident to the deterioration of cork and similar gasket materials, by employing, in place thereof, a metallic gasket; and

. another object is to overcome the above-described disadvantages associated with the use of flat metallic gaskets by providing a metallic gasket so constructed and arranged as to practically preclude breaking of the hermetic seal by reason of buckling or deflection of the gasket.

A further object is to provide such a device which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, which is effective in operation, and which may be readily applied to the bottle. In carrying out the invention, the receptacle closure made in accordance therewith comprises a retainer member, which may be of conventional form, and a gasket or closure member of novel construction.

The invention will best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale, through a fragment of a bottle, showing the invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of a retainer member, associated with which is a gasket made in accordance with the invention.-

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of said gasket.

Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is a bottle, adjacent the mouth of which is formed an annular external shoulder, rib or sealinglip, 2. The crown metallic cap 3 (which may be of the well-known form) is provided with a dependent flange or skirt, 4, which, by the application thereto of suitable and well-known tools or apparatus, may be crimped, pressed, or otherwise forced, into intimate contact with shoulder 2, below the center thereofthereby firmly attaching the cap to the bottle.

The gasket 5, which may be stamped from relatively thin and stiff sheet metal, is pro-' vided with peripheral notches, the sides of which define blunt, tooth-like projections,

such as 6, 6 6", etc., which serve as a series of spring-like members which in effect constitute cantilever beams which have their anchorage in the dome of the gasket. By suitable means, such as a punch and die, the gasket 5 is bent into parabolic or partially spheroidal form.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be noted that in its normal condition, i. e., before the cap and gasket have been attached to the bottle, the maximum diameter of the gasket is somewhat less than the internal diameter of the cap, at the juncture of the crown and flange portions of the latter.

In the process of attaching the device to the bottle, downward pressure is applied to the crown portion of the cap; and such pressure is maintained during the operation of crimping or pressing the flange 4 into locking contact with the shoulder 2. The crown portion of the cap, in its movement under this downward pressure, downwardly and outwardly deflects the spring-like teeth 6, 6 6 etc., until the outer edges thereof become seated at approximately the juncture of the crown and flange portions of the cap, as shown in Fig. 1. The cap being still subjected to downward pressure, the outer portion of the gasket within the apices of the notched portions as well as a portion of the spring members themselves, is caused to conform to the contour of the bottle neck, the body portion of the gasket being rigid owing to its shape, so that the lower surface of the body of the gasket is forced into intimate annular contact (indicated by the figure 8 with the bottle wall-in which position it is locked by reason of the crin1p ing of flange 3 about the shoulder 2.

As further appears from Fig. l, the central portion of the gasket now presents, in opposition to the high internal pressure of the container, an inverted dome 7, the inherent structural strength of which is so great as to preclude such buckling or deflection of the metal as might destroy the hermetic seal.

As has been hereinbefore pointed out, the inner surface of the bottle neck is unavoidably irregular. To insure hermetic sealing under these adverse conditions, a coating 9 of lacquer or other suitable high-meltingpoint (80 to 90 C.) material is applied to the lower and upper sides of the gasket. This material (which should be chemically inert and therefore non-assailable by the contents of the bottle) is applied in a plastic state immediately prior to the fitting of the cap{ over the top of the bottle.

eferring to Fig. 2, for convenience in handling the cap and gasket prior to and during its attachment to the bottle, the gasket may be held in position in the crown portion of the cap by means of lacquer or adhesive of such a nature as to permit of a slight movement between the cap and gasket, in order that the latter may come into registry with the mouth of the bottle. The substance-employed for this purpose may be. the same lacquer which is applied to the gasket for the purposes stated in the preceding paragraph. The corners of the teeth of the asket are preferably slightly rounded or beveled as indicated at 20 to afford a suflicient area of contact be rounded top, a closure therefor comprise ing a cap, a metallic gasket consisting of an inverted dome-shaped body portion having its periphery seated against the inner lip of the mouth of the bottle and a plu rality of resilient fingers integral with the body portion and projecting radially therefrom, and cooperating with said cap to hold the body portion in its sealing position.

2. A bottle closure comprising a cap member and a gasket consisting of an inverted dome-shaped body portion and a plurality of resilient fingers disposed peripherally of said body portion, said fingers serving to transmit the force of the compression of the cap and serving also in cooperation with the cap to maintain said gasket in its seated sealing position.

3. A bottle closure comprising a cap member and a sealing metallic gasket con sisting of an inverted dome-shaped body portion and a plurality of resilient fingers disposed peripherally of said body portion and integral therewith, said fingers serving to transmit the force of the compression of the cap and serving also in cooperation with the cap to maintain said gasket in its seated sealing position.

4. A bottle closure comprising a cap member and a sealing metallic gasket consisting of an inverted dome-shaped body portion and a plurality of resilient fingers disposed peripherally of said body portion and integral therewith, said fingers serving to transmit the force of the compression of the cap and serving also in cooperation with the cap to maintain said gasket in its seated sealing position, said gasket having a coat-- ing of plastic material.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature to this specification.

HENRY OLT. 

